


Magic Show

by AlexStone



Series: Tolkientober [15]
Category: The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types
Genre: Canon-adjacent, Magic Frodo, Multi, Post-Lord of the Rings, Tolkientober
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:21:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27137228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexStone/pseuds/AlexStone
Summary: Frodo helps the Shire children put on a magic show.
Relationships: Frodo Baggins/Rose Cotton/Sam Gamgee, Merry Brandybuck/Éowyn, Tom Cotton the Younger/Marigold Gamgee
Series: Tolkientober [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948141
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	Magic Show

**Author's Note:**

> Tolkientober Day 21 - 'Magic'
> 
> This fic was inspired by another piece of Tolkientober art, in which Gandalf taught Frodo some magic tricks. I've played around with the timeline slightly, so some of the children were born a few years prior to Frodo's departure into the West.

“It is almost time,” Frodo lowered his voice to a soft whisper, “remember what I told you. It might get scary out there, and it might feel easy to run away and hide. If you feel like things are getting too much, remember to find me, and I promise I will get you through it. You are so talented, and you’re going to do amazing.”

Frodo looked down at the wide eyes looking back at him. Frodo jr. and Elanor were fixing their costumes, makeshift from the remnants of Bilbo’s wardrobe. Marigold’s daughter Lily was picking her nose and looking at the ceiling, while Merry and Éowyn’s child Theo crawled towards pile of discarded robes and fake beards.

“Uncle Frodo, what if we forget our lines?” Elanor asked, affixing the strap that held her wig in place.

“I’m going to tell you a secret,” Frodo leaned forward, and the children hushed. They loved Frodo’s secrets. “I’ve known some brilliant wizards, but I think you might be the best magicians in whole Shire.”

Lily giggled and hid her face in her robe. Elanor beamed with pride, and Frodo jr. scooped Theo into his arms. Frodo gave the children a thumbs up, before exiting out of Bag End’s front door. A series of garden chairs had been arranged in the front garden, which encircled a small raised platform. The stage was illuminated with a series of candles, and a larger fire crackled in front of the deckchairs. Clouds blanketed the night sky, and the warmth of a long summer day hung in the air. 

Frodo stepped onto the stage to the sounds of whoops and cheers. He looked out over the audience and saw Sam and Rosie sat with Merry and Éowyn, Pippin sat with Tom and Marigold Cotton. Hamfast Gamgee sat near to the fire, wrapped in thick blankets. Frodo felt a swell of emotions rise in his chest as he looked out over his friends, before raising his arms to indicate silence.

“Ladies and gentlefolk, hobbits and assorted friends, welcome all,” Frodo intoned, swirling a thick blue cape around himself, “you have found yourself in a mysterious land, with strange people and fantastic creatures…”

“It looks like Bag End!” Pippin heckled, before Éowyn and Rosie shot him a warning look. 

“In this land there are powerful magics, known only to the wise and noble,” Frodo continued, looking over his shoulder and gesturing at Elanor to join him on stage, “why look! One of them has arrived just now! What is your name, oh powerful wizard?”

Rosie and Sam cheered as Elanor walked onstage, beaming under her thick beard and travelling cloak. “My name is Elanor the… the…” Elanor stammered, looking to Frodo with a flash of panic in her eyes. Frodo nodded reassuringly and mouthed her lines. “My name is Elanor the Eternal and I am… I am here to magic… to do magic for you.” 

“Go Ellie!” Rosie cheered, and Frodo gave Sam a look to indicate that his moment was coming up.

“Does anyone have card packs… no, does anyone have a pack of cards?” Elanor said, producing a homemade wand from her pocket.

“I do!” Sam jumped to his feet and approached the stage, “I mean. Yes, I have a pack of cards. Here they are.”

“Thank you daddy, I mean, kind guest,” Elanor grinned, taking the cards form her father. 

She showed the cards to the audience. Frodo saw her confidence blossom as she shuffled the cards. Elanor was a natural with slight-of-hand tricks, but had been sacred of performing in front of her parents and friends. Frodo watched the crowd’s attention suddenly shift Elanor’s fingers, flicking through the cards with unnatural speed and grace. Sam was slack jawed with amazement, and almost forgot to respond as Elanor showed him his card. Frodo started clapping loudly, prompting the rest of the audience to join in. 

“What’s this? Someone else on the horizon!” Frodo guided Sam offstage and gestured for Elanor to sit on the side, “why, could it be Frodo the Fantastic!” 

Frodo jr leapt onto the stage, twirling his top hat and beaming at the audience. Frodo took a step to one side. There was no worries about stage fright with this one. 

“Welcome! Welcome! My name is Frodo and I will require a beautiful princess for my trick,” the young child looked across the audience before pointing at Pippin, “will you please join me?”

Pippin stood and beamed. “Finally, I am appreciated in my own time,” he said, waving regally at the seated audience, “out of my way peons, the stage calls!”

Pippin joined Frodo jr onstage, and the young hobbit reached behind Pippin’s ear and produced a small golden coin. Pippin gasped theatrically, and laughter erupted throughout the crowd. Frodo jr continued to produce coins from around Pippin’s head and hands. The repeated trick was aided by Pippin’s exuberant reactions, and Frodo thought Merry was going to burst a blood vessel from laughing so hard.

Lily’s trick went less well, and Frodo hopped onstage to help her when it became clear that she was getting overwhelmed. Her lip was trembling after the performance, and Frodo guided her to go sit with Éowyn for the rest of the show. He crossed back to the stage and gave a reassuring nod to the audience.

“We shouldn’t be scared when magic does not go as expected,” he improvised, looking back to Frodo jr and Elanor to join him onstage, “but as we come to the end of our show, we want to thank you all for coming…”

“Oh no!” Frodo jr shrieked, causing Hamfast to almost fall backwards in his chair, “Look over there! The awful, terrible, wicked… Dragon of Theoland!”

Theo stumbled onto the stage. Their body was almost completed shrouded in a thick black cloak, and a homemade wooden mask was balanced on their head. They roared and waved their arms at the audience, who gasped and applauded. 

“I’ll stop them!” Frodo jr yelled, charging Theo with his hands raised, “you shall not pass!” 

Frodo jr clutched his heart and fell to the ground, yelling that he had been wounded by the dragon. Theo waddled forwards, and Frodo noted that they could hardly see out of their mask. He gestured at Elanor to step a bit closer to Theo and guide them away from Frodo jr’s death throes. 

“There’s only one thing to do!” Frodo gestured to the audience to raise their hands, “you must give Elanor your hearts and minds! Only with your help can she slay this wicked beast!”

Sam leapt to his feet and held his arms out, almost knocking Rosie out of her chair. Éowyn and Merry giggled, before joining and whispering instructions to Hamfast. Pippin flipped a rude gesture at Frodo before raising his hands alongside Marigold and Tom. 

Frodo knelt next to Elanor and closed his eyes. He remembered long nights with Gandalf, sitting and watching the embers spark and fade into the night. He remembered the light of Eärendil, Galadriel’s mirror, Arwen’s hands wrapped around his shoulders. He remembered Gandalf’s voice, clear as the moon above a great ocean.

“The only limit,” the wizard’s voice echoed on Frodo’s lips, “is imagination.”

Sparks leapt from Frodo’s fingers in a shower of gold and blue. Frodo nodded at Elanor, and the sparks danced from his fingers to hers. A hush fell over the audience as Elanor balanced the sparks on her fingers, as if she was holding the wind itself. She took a few careful steps and sprinkled the sparks over Theo’s head. Light rained over them as fireflies over the Brandywine, or the trail of star falling from the sky. Theo cooed in delight as Elanor gently lifted the mask from their head, before turning and smiling at the audience.

“The dragon was our friend, Theo the Terrific!” Elanor announced, before the entire audience erupted in a standing ovation. 

Frodo gathered the children around himself and led them in bows, before letting them return to their parents. The party subsided, and friends began to retreat to warm beds or quiet rooms. Frodo stacked the chairs and blew out the candles, turning to see Rosie and Sam stood by the gate to Bag End.

“You are so good to them,” Rosie said, balancing a sleeping Frodo jr in her arms. 

“They are good kids,” Frodo smiled, leaning on the fence, “It was honestly no trouble. I think Éowyn and Merry appreciated the alone time.”

“I think we all did,” Sam whispered sheepishly as Elanor looked for fireflies around the garden, “you should do it again. Elanor is obsessed.”

“I’ll work something out,” Frodo leaned forward and kissed Sam, “although you don’t have to work so hard to get me to come over.”

“Samwise Gardner, you’re positively crimson,” Rosie teased, before hugging Frodo and beginning their walk down the hill. 

Frodo watched the Gardners return to their home. He turned to Bag End, with its long corridors and hidden places. He opened the door and smelled the fire-smoke on his clothes. He hung up his jacket and made an herbal tea, before sitting in-front of the last embers in his hearth. Frodo breathed in light and memory, and all around his mind ghosts fell like stars.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on twitter at @AlexStoneWriter! Comments are greatly appreciated.
> 
> You can find the full list of Tolkientober prompts here: https://twitter.com/hobbitgay/status/1311350783238045696
> 
> You can find the piece of art that inspired this fic here: https://twitter.com/elkina18864728/status/1316970834502836224?s=12


End file.
